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Despite getting regular negative press, Lake Erie continues to march on toward another fantastic fishing season. The lake which has been dubbed the “most valuable freshwater fishery in the world” continues to pump out phenomenal numbers of walleye and yellow perch. The 2016 fishing season should be another example of why so many people hold this fishery in such high esteem.

Walleye Fishing Outlook

Walleye fishing in has been great across the lake for several consecutive seasons and it is expected to trend even further upward in the coming years. A strong walleye hatch in 2014 combined with a banner hatch in 2015 will carry this great fishery into the foreseeable future. Those fishing in the western basin will begin to see the fruits of that hatch beginning in 2016, as most fish from the 2014 hatch should be in the 15-17 inch range during the year. When that hatch is combined to the already bountiful population in the lake, it is easy to see that fishing should be nothing short of a slam dunk during the coming season. Furthermore, once the near record 2015 hatch attains legal size in 2017, the fishing should be nothing short of amazing.

Perch Fishing Outlook

While perch fishing may not have been as rosy in recent years as the walleye fishing has been, those of us in fishing in the western basin have experienced some very solid action the past few seasons. With strong hatches in 2013, 2014, and 2015 the perch fishing is no doubt on the upswing lake wide. The only downfall in the coming years is anglers will likely have to ‘suffer’ through a little extra sorting as the lake will have no shortage of 4-7 inch perch swimming around. That is a fair price to pay for the fantastic perch fishing that we will see in the coming years.

Conclusion

In short there is nothing but positive things to say about the sport fishing opportunities that Lake Erie has to offer. Whether you prefer to target walleye, yellow perch, or even smallmouth bass, you should find plenty of success in the future.